I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

Chapter 73: Underground Auction House (1)

TL/Editor: Rungir

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"......"

Princess Diana, the fifth daughter of the Emperor, was lost in thought in her study at the Green Star Palace.

Her fingers were rhythmically tapping on her bracelet.

Despite the enormous benefits she received from the downfall of the Third Prince, her face did not reflect joy.

"I really don't understand..."

As she murmured, she remembered the scene she had witnessed in the basement on the night when the Cheongseong Palace was attacked.

It was mostly destroyed by Egrasia, but the remnants were enough to hint at the inhumane experiments that had taken place.

The sight was shocking enough to astound even Diana, who knew of Enoch's twisted hobbies.

If she had understood the nature of these experiments, especially those inflicted on the fairies, she would have declared war on Enoch long ago.

'Zion must have known about this when he proposed the alliance.'

But how did Zion know what even she couldn't grasp?

Looking back, Zion knew more than Diana when Lergan Urschler set a trap for her.

'Is there really an information network that surpasses me?'

It was an absurd notion, but if it were true, she might have to reconsider all of her current targets for containment.

'In addition, his influence is growing rapidly because of this incident.'

It was as if he had grown wings.

And that's precisely why she was so gloomy.

The more she learned about Zion, the more dangerously potent she felt he was.

Therefore, she was more concerned about Zion's growing power than her own.

He could surpass her one day.

On top of that.

'The Ascalon family has made contact with Prince Zion.'

Upon receiving such information, she couldn't help but worry and contemplate more.

"Well, it was predictable that the Ascalon family would do so."

From the beginning, the Ascalon family severed ties with Zion because there was absolutely no hope.

However, now that Zion had amply demonstrated his potential through various incidents, there was no reason for them not to reconnect.

To balance this, Diana also needed the support of one of the other Great Families, and the Ozlima family seemed the most likely candidate.

After the death of the Third Prince, they were essentially lost without a center.

'The problem is, they're not moving at all.'

Were they planning to shut themselves off?

Despite her continuous attempts to make contact, the Ozlima family did not respond.

Feeling a profound sense of suffocation, Diana sighed deeply.

"Ah..."

Lowering her head gently, she released a long sigh, then turned to Lloyd, who was standing behind her, and asked.

"What is Zion doing right now?"

Since Zion was already one of her top priority surveillance targets, it was fundamental for her to always keep track of his movements.

"We've just received word that he discreetly left Huangcheng a little while ago."

"He left Huangcheng? Do we know his destination?"

"It's not certain, but based on the direction, he appears to be heading towards the underground auction house in Flingtun."

"Flingtun? Where's that? It sounds familiar somehow...."

Upon hearing Lloyd's continuation, Diana's expression subtly shifted.

"It's the only place in the capital that auctions off slaves."

---

---

"There are more people than I expected."

Zion, sitting in the VIP section of the auction house, made this remark as he surveyed the surroundings. The auction hall, as vast as a giant auditorium, was filled with hundreds of densely packed seats.

And every single one of those seats was occupied by a person, with no empty spot to be seen. The same held true for the VIP section on the upper floor where Zion was seated. This sight alone was enough to fathom the grandeur of the Flington Auction House.

"It seems my item isn't listed here."

Zion mulled over this while leafing through the auction catalog that lay on the table next to him. He was certain that the item he sought would be presented today, so it was safe to assume it had been intentionally omitted from the catalog.

There were two reasons for an item not to be listed in the catalog. The first was when the item was not an object but a living slave. The second was when the item to be presented was of extraordinarily high value.

Since what Zion intended to acquire today was not a slave, it surely had to be the latter.

Just then, Aileen, who was seated next to him and surveying the surroundings, said in a subtly excited tone, "There are more big shots here than I thought."

"Can you recognize them even if they are hiding their identities?"

"Of course. I am the head of an information guild after all. I cannot afford not to recognize them just because they are wearing masks."

"Is that so? Then who is that woman over there?"

With a confident tone, Zion pointed to a woman seated diagonally below them in the same VIP section and asked. A woman with a tattoo of a snake biting its own tail on her left shoulder.

Zion had noticed her when he first entered the auction house. Of course, due to her mask, he couldn't see her face.

"……Who is she? I have no idea."

Upon this question, Aileen, who had been looking at the woman for a moment, replied with a tone of surprise.

"Even if she is a noble from Su-do and assigned a seat in the VIP section, there is no way I wouldn't know of her......"

Zion nodded lightly at her response as if he had anticipated it.

There was no other way. The woman, and the organization she belonged to, were not active until far into the future from the present moment. Aileen's ignorance was only natural since they hadn't yet revealed anything.

"Do you happen to know who she is......"

Aileen was about to inquire further when the auction house darkened, and the auctioneer took the stage.

-Good evening! I am Lonnie Harlen, and I will be conducting today's auction.

After the auctioneer's greeting, a practiced monologue followed, then the first item began to appear behind him.

-......I will now introduce the first item to commence today's auction.

And that item was a painting.

On the pristine white canvas, lines of various colors crisscrossed geometrically.

From Zion's perspective, he found himself wondering if that could truly be called art, but...

-"This piece is an unknown posthumous work by the master of modern art, Pavel Karpnof..."

Before the auctioneer could even finish his sentence, people were raising their hands frantically.

-"Bid number 88 starts at 10 million! Immediately after, bid 105 jumps to 15 million! Ah, bid 206 swiftly raises it to 20 million!"

The skyrocketing price of the artwork left Zion speechless.

He doubted whether they truly appreciated the value of the artwork or merely the prestige it would bring. Their fascination, he thought, stemmed more from the recognition and admiration they would receive for owning a piece by such a famous artist.

Not that Zion himself had any interest in such things.

"If the opening item can command such a price, the upcoming items should be worth looking forward to."

Aileen muttered quietly beside him, her gaze fixed on the ongoing auction.

True to her words, the items that followed were equally extraordinary. Although not particularly practical, they boasted a rarity that provoked the aristocrats' possessive desires. It was only fitting for the empire's top underground auction house.

These extravagant items were all sold for astronomical sums.

'What did he come here to buy, exactly?'

Despite the ongoing auction, Zion hadn't made a single bid, and so he found himself receiving curious glances from her.

The Plington Auction House presented items not in categories, but in order of value. Whether they were simple art pieces or magical artifacts, the order was determined solely by their evaluated worth. This rule was no different for slaves.

So far, many slaves had been presented for auction, yet Zion hadn't made a move.

'Did he really not come here to buy a slave?'

It was a valid question, as the primary purpose of visiting this auction house was typically slave acquisition.

At that moment...

-"Now, this next item is the Cursed Necklace of Count Scanvia."

A slightly different item was brought onto the stage.

-"Count Scanvia, once ruler of the vast estate of Calrot in the northwest of the empire, acquired this necklace after vanquishing the infamous dark wizard, Gert. Shortly after, Count Scanvia succumbed to an unexplainable illness and ever since then..."

The necklace, infamous for a curse so potent it could steal the wearer's life, was not particularly popular.

'No matter how rare, such items don't have much appeal.'

Even if it were one of a kind, it wasn't something one could proudly display like an art piece, nor was it considered particularly valuable.

Therefore, only a few nobles with peculiar hobbies participated in the bidding.

-"Bid number 66 for 3 million, going once, going twice! Any more bids?"

The auctioneer too, seemed to have anticipated this tepid response, conducting the auction in a noticeably more subdued tempo.

The noble who made the last bid, Number 66, sat relaxed, seemingly confident that he had no competitors.

"Now then, Count Scandvia's necklace goes to number 66…"

That's when it happened.

"Wait! Number 11! Number 11 has bid 3.5 million!"

Someone raised their hand.

At this, Aileen's face transformed into one of surprise. It's no wonder, as number 11 was none other than Zion.

'What on earth…'

What could he be thinking?

"Back to number 66 with 4 million!"

Amid her stunned contemplation of Zion's nonchalant expression, noble number 66 raised his bid again.

"Number 11, 4.5 million!"

Before the auctioneer could even finish his sentence, Zion raised his bid again. The price of the necklace began to skyrocket due to their rivalry.

'Could he be planning to assassinate someone with that?'

Aileen's eyes filled with confusion as she watched the price of the necklace quickly approach 10 million. No matter how she thought about it, the necklace was not worth that much.

'Should I raise it a bit more?'

However, Zion, while raising the price to 12 million, thought differently.

Count Scandvia's cursed necklace.

Zion knew the true value of the necklace. It was an artifact that appeared once in the Chronicles of Frosimar. Its current appearance was due to a curse from a dark wizard, but if the curse were lifted, it would become a lower-ranked, yet still legendary-grade artifact.

So, even though it was not the item he initially targeted, he jumped into the bidding war.

'As long as I win the auction, no matter the cost, it's not a loss.'

After all, most legendary weapons or artifacts are typically priceless.

Moreover, his wealth was more than enough. It overflowed, in fact.

The Shadow of Eternity, the empire's top intelligence organization now serving Zion, operated businesses under various aliases throughout the empire and raked in astronomical sums of money.

'If our Lord goes to the auction and is short of funds, that won't do. Please feel free to spend as you wish. You could even buy the entire auction house if you'd like.'

That was what Thierry had said as he handed Zion a black card with no name but magic coating on it.

From what I've heard, the card was only issued to top-grade clients from the bank and had no spending limit.

It was the only card that could be used in the Flington auction house, which otherwise only accepted cash.

'Specially, they said this card is made so no one can figure out the identity of the user.'

Admiring Thierry's thoughtfulness, Zion raised the bid for the necklace to 30 million.

"Damn it!"

A furious voice rang out from number 66.

"Number 11...30 million! Is there anyone else who wants to bid?"

The bidding didn't go any higher. Perhaps number 66 had reached his limit, or maybe he thought the loss would be too great if he continued.

"And so, Count Scandvia's necklace goes to customer number 11!"

The echo of the auctioneer's voice paired with the resonating hammer bang.

“…….”

I could feel the scorching gaze of Aileen, seated next to me.

Why on earth would you spend 30 million on such an item instead of buying a slave? Her silent pressure questioned.josei

Ignoring her piercing gaze lightly, Zion focused on the auction.

How much further did the auction proceed, one could only guess.

All the items listed in the catalog appeared and the prepared slaves were nearing their end.

- Now, the item that will be up next does not exist in our catalogue. It's so rare that it's impossible to put a price on it. Many nobles and territorial lords are still actively seeking this item.

The auctioneer opened his mouth, his voice tinted with a tone distinct from before.

And with that, a small blue ring appeared on the stage.

From the ring burst a brilliant blue glow that started to fill the entire auction hall.

Moreover, a noticeable drop in temperature.

It wasn't anything the auction house did.

Just the mere existence of this ring was causing such a phenomenon.

- Long before the empire was established, there existed a queen who ruled over the northern part where only snowstorms reigned. The queen, born with the power to command snow and ice, sealed her ability within a ring before her death.

“That’s impossible, how could that be here!”

A small cry burst from Aileen's lips, who had first recognized what the ring was.

- Indeed, that is this ring, the Frost Queen's Breath.

And finally, as the auctioneer's words came to a close and the full form of the ring was revealed.

“!!!!!!”

People inside the auction hall let out gasps of shock, some even standing from their seats.

And with them.

'Has it finally appeared?'

A chilly light began to flow in Zion's languid eyes.

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